Every week, comic fandom is gifted with a slew of fantastic stories from a slew of fantastic creators. These days there’s just so much good stuff out there that it can be a bit overwhelming, especially if you’re new to comics. Thus AIPT presents to you, Fantastic Five! A weekly column where we pick five fantastic books released during the week and tell you why you should take a chance on them via a snippet from our reviews.
Enjoy, and happy reading!
Billionaire Island #6
Words by Mark Russell. Art by Steve Pugh.
Mark Russell has quickly become one of those writers that comes with a big giant “buy this” sticker on his books for comics readers. Pair him with Steve Pugh and you’re set. Billionaire Island has been a tragically relevant and thought provoking series stuffed to the brim with enough jokes to distract readers from the sad reality. (9.5/10)
–Alex McDonald
Detective Comics #1027
Words and art by a LOT of people.
This is without a doubt one of the finest extra-sized Batman issues ever made. It seems like DC Comics learned a few things from Detective Comics #1000 by not tying into the current storylines too much, and instead, showing different slivers of the character. There’s a lot of variance in the tales, showing Batman’s fighting ability, his inability to give up, his ability to solve crimes as Bruce Wayne, and showing off his rogues gallery too. Anyone could read this and know why Batman is great and how the many shades that make up the hero make him all the greater. (9.5/10)
–David Brooke
Batman #99
Words by James Tynion IV. Art by Jorge Jimenez.
This is a slow burn of an issue as we get a speech from the Joker as the Bat family regroups so they can divide and conquer. The best stuff comes at the end, which really makes the wait for the conclusion next issue that much more difficult. (9/10)
–Christopher Franey
Iron Man #1
Words by Christopher Cantwell. Art by Cafu.
Iron Man #1 sets the stage for a new and exciting direction for a character who has remained the same for quite some time. That’s exciting. Iron Man is a stirring book about finding oneself and approaching your identity as a problem to solve, and we know Tony is good at those. Iron Man feels deeply personal and mature which makes it a riveting psychological drama. (9/10)
–David Brooke
Giant-Size X-Men: Storm #1
Words by Jonathan Hickman. Art by Russell Dauterman.
Giant-Size X-Men: Storm has it all, from action to crazy science fiction concepts we’ve come to adore from Hickman, to deeply meaningful character beats. In the opening alone, we get to see Emma and Jean spar a bit, reminding us they aren’t the best of friends and have a history. Above all else, Giant-Size X-Men has been a series about layering visuals in an emphatic way, but the story and character writing has been excellent too. In what can appear to be a simple scene or simple visual, there is so much more behind it, be it the history or the subtext. Giant-Size X-Men is a delight of the mind, the eye, and the imagination. (9/10)
–David Brooke
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